Protective face guard with transparent shield

ABSTRACT

A protective face guard for use in playing sports. The guard includes a shield having a transparent portion extending over an unobstructed viewing area to enable the wearer to have a clear line of vision. The unobstructed viewing area is preferably greater in diameter than about 44 mm for baseball play and greater in diameter than about 60 mm for softball play so as to enhance visibility over more conventional face guards. The transparent portion of the shield is constructed of a material that will withstand the impact of a ball, and is preferably made of clear or tinted polycarbonate material. The guard is configured to be secured to a helmet or other headgear in a manner to further support the shield upon impact and minimize flex.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to protective gear for sports, and is moreparticularly directed to a face guard having a transparent shieldconfigured to extend over an unobstructed viewing area. The face guardis particularly adapted for use with a baseball or softball catcher'smask or batting helmet.

2. Description of Related Art

Protective helmets and face guards are commonly used by players invarious sports, and are often required in league play and professionalsports such as baseball, softball, and hockey. In baseball and softballfor example, batters and catchers are required to wear protectiveheadgear to protect their heads, with the catcher's headgearadditionally required to have a face guard typically referred to as acatcher's mask. These face guards are required to protect the weareragainst being hit in the face with a ball.

Conventional catcher's masks include a padded frame that surrounds thecatcher's face, with a single-piece metal face cage attached to thefront of the frame to cover and protect the catcher's face. The paddedframe is attached to a helmet or straps which secures the frame to thecatcher's head. More recently, it has been known to securely affix metalface cages directly to the helmet alone and/or combined with a highstrength polymer lower mask to the helmet to serve as a face guard.

The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment(NOCSAE) has established various standard performance specificationsthat must be met by batter's and catcher's helmets includingspecifications for helmets with face guards. Under these specifications,the face guards are required to protect against any contact in theocular area and limited specified contact on other portions of the face.See NOCSAE (ND)072-04m05a and (ND)024-03m05. In order to comply withthese specifications, the largest opening in the face guard for baseballplay is typically no greater than about 44 mm and the largest opening inthe face guard for softball play is typically no greater than about 60mm in order to protect against any portion of the ball passing throughthe opening.

While these various face guards provide protection to the wearer,portions of the face guard positioned in the line of sight of the wearercan create an obstruction to clear viewing. Thus, there remains a needin the art for a protective face guard that provides adequate protectionto the wearer, but does not obstruct the view of the wearer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a protective face guard for use inplaying sports. The guard includes a shield having a transparent portionextending over an unobstructed viewing area to enable the wearer to havea clear line of vision. The unobstructed viewing area has a height orvertical length greater than about 44 mm for baseball play and greaterthan about 60 mm for softball play so as to enhance visibility over moreconventional face guards. The transparent portion of the shield isconstructed of a material that will withstand the impact of a ball, andis preferably made of clear or tinted polycarbonate material. The guardis configured to be secured to a helmet or other headgear in a manner tofurther support the shield upon impact and minimize flex. Thus, thewearer has a better viewing area and remains protected.

In one embodiment, a two-piece face guard comprising an uppertransparent shield and a lower cage is secured to a protective helmet.The helmet includes a rigid shell configured to fit over a portion of awearer's head, with top, rear, and side portions to protect the top,rear, and sides of a wearer's head. The top and side portions of therigid shell define an opening in the area of the wearer's eyes and upperface. This opening presents an unobstructed viewing area extendinghorizontally a distance beyond the outer edge of each eye and extendingvertically a distance greater than 44 mm for baseball play, and greaterthan about 60 mm for softball, so as to provide a clear line of sight.In a most preferred embodiment, the unobstructed viewing area has awidth or horizontal length (measured along a straight horizontal axis atthe vertical mid-point of the viewing area) ranging from 125 to 250 mm,preferably 170 to 240 mm. The unobstructed viewing area has a height orvertical length (measured along a straight vertical axis at the centerfront of the viewing area) ranging from about 45 to 150 mm, preferably55 to 125 mm, and most preferably 65 to 100 mm. The upper transparentshield of the face guard is configured to fit over and cover theunobstructed viewing area.

The lower cage is configured to fit over and cover a lower portion ofthe wearer's face and mouth below the unobstructed viewing area. Thelower cage is not required to be transparent and may be formed of anymaterial suitable for protecting the wearer while permitting properventilation in the area of the lower nose and/or mouth. In a preferredembodiment, the lower cage is formed of tubular metal or a hardpolymeric mask having vent holes.

At least a portion of the outer periphery of the upper transparentshield is engaged with a support. Preferably, top, side, and/or bottomportions of the outer periphery are secured in overlapping contact withcorresponding portions of the rigid shell and lower cage. Alternatively,top and/or side portions of the outer periphery of the transparentshield are secured to intermediate supports such as metal bars orbrackets that are likewise secured to the rigid shell. Rubber pads orother cushioning may be provided between the shield and the support tofurther reduce stresses on the shield at impact. In this manner, theshell, lower cage or intermediate support provide support to the shieldto minimize flex upon impact.

In an alternative embodiment, a one-piece face guard is specificallyadapted for use on a catcher's helmet, wherein the entirety of the faceguard is made of a transparent shield. The catcher's helmet comprises arigid shell configured to fit over a portion of a wearer's head, withtop, rear, and side portions to protect the top, rear, and sides of thewearer's head. The sides extend downward from the top and wrap around tomeet in the lower center front of the helmet to cover the lower face,chin, and/or neck of the wearer. The top and side portions of the rigidshell define an enclosed opening that presents an unobstructed viewingarea extending horizontally a distance beyond the outer edge of each eyeand extending vertically a distance from above and below the eyes toprovide a clear line of sight. In a most preferred embodiment, theopening has a width or horizontal length (measured along a straighthorizontal axis at the vertical mid-point of the viewing area) rangingfrom 125 to 225 mm, preferably 170 to 215 mm. The opening has a heightor vertical length (measured along a straight vertical axis at thecenter front of the viewing area) ranging from 45 to 250 mm, preferably55 to 185 mm, and most preferably 80-155.

In this embodiment, the transparent shield is configured to fit over andcover the entirety of the opening. Top, side, and bottom portions of theouter periphery of the shield are secured in overlapping relationshipwith corresponding portions of the top and side portions of the shellthat serve as a support for the shield. Alternatively, top, side, and/orbottom portions of the outer periphery are secured to intermediatesupports that are secured to the shell for this purpose. Rubber pads orother cushioning may be provided between the shield and the support tofurther reduce stresses on the shield at impact. In this manner, thesupports serve to support the shield to reduce flex upon impact.

Additional aspects of the invention, together with the advantages andnovel features appurtenant thereto, will be set forth in part in thedescription that follows, and in part will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learnedfrom the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of theinvention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalitiesand combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a catcher's helmet having a two-pieceface shield in accordance with a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the catcher's helmet of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a batter's helmet having a two-pieceface shield in accordance with a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a catcher's helmet with a fulltransparent shield serving as a face guard in accordance with a secondembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

A protective sports helmet having a two part face shield according to afirst exemplary embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIGS.1-3 and a full transparent shield face guard according to a secondexemplary embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 4.While the invention will be described in detail herein below withreference to these embodiments, it should be understood that theinvention is not limited to the specific constructions or configurationsshown in the exemplary embodiments. Rather, one skilled in the art willappreciate that a variety of configurations may be implemented inaccordance with the present invention.

Looking to FIGS. 1 and 2, a protective catcher's helmet having atwo-piece face guard in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention is depicted generally by the designation 10. Helmet 10includes a rigid shell 12 defining a cavity 14 configured to fit over awearer's head, and further defining a face opening 16 in the area of thewearer's face. Face opening 16 is substantially covered by face shield18 secured (directly or indirectly) to rigid shell 12. Face shield 18comprises a lower cage 20 and an upper transparent shield 22. Lower cage20 is secured to rigid shell 12 to cover a portion of the wearer's lowerface and mouth. Upper transparent shield 22 attaches to rigid shell 12to cover an unobstructed viewing area adjacent the wearer's eyes andupper to mid-face. The top and upper side peripheral edges of shield 22are secured in overlapping contact against a portion of rigid shell 12adjacent opening 16. The bottom and lower side peripheral edges ofshield 22 overlap and rest against corresponding portions of lower cage20.

Rigid shell 12 comprises a front shell 28 configured to fit around thefront head, face, and neck of the wearer and a rear shell 30 configuredto protect the back of the head. Front shell 28 comprises a top portion32 and side portions 34 extending downward from each side of top portion32 and wrap around to join at a lower front center of the helmet tocover the wearer's chin and/or neck. Top and side portions 32, 34 arepreferably formed as a unitary piece of material.

Rear shell 30 is attached to front shell 28 with elastic straps (notshown) as is known in the art. The straps allow rear shell 30 to bepulled slightly away from front shell 28 to allow easily fitting therigid shell over the wearer's head. Once in place, the straps pull rearshell 30 snugly against the back of the wearer's head to keep theprotective helmet securely in place. The straps may be secured via slotsor other attachment means to the front and rear shells 28, 30 as is wellknown in the art. Ventilation openings 38 are formed through rigid shell12 to allow air flow to cool the wearer's head and also reduce theoverall weight of the protective helmet. The configuration andpositioning of openings 38 may vary as is known in the art.

Rigid shell 12 may be constructed of any sturdy material capable ofwithstanding a strike from a baseball or bat. Preferably, rigid shell 12is constructed of a rigid plastic material such as AcrylonitrileButadiene Styrene (ABS) or Polycarbonate. Rigid shell 12 may be custommanufactured to accommodate head sizes from extra small (6⅜) to extralarge (7½), or may be manufactured to an intermediate one-size-fits-allconfiguration with various sizes of removable pads or straps attached tothe interior cavity side of rigid shell 12 to size the protective helmetto a particular wearer. Rigid shell 12 may include padding at locationsalong the interior cavity side to provide a snug, comfortable fit to thewearer's head as is well known in the art.

Looking still to FIG. 2, lower face cage 20 comprises an upper bar 40having a central portion extending in an outward arc to generallyconform to the shape of the lower front face and opposite ends extendingvertically upward a distance along the side of the cage and secured toattachment plate 42. A lower u-shaped bar 44 has upper ends secured toattachment plate 42 and extends downward to generally conform with theshape of the chin. Intermediate bars 46 a, 46 b, 46 c extend generallyhorizontally in an outward arc positioned at various distances betweenupper and lower bars 40, 44. Opposite ends of intermediate bars aresecured along respective sides of lower bar 42. As best seen in FIG. 2,upper bar 40 and intermediate 46 a preferably are affixed inside-by-side relationship to provide added strength to the members.Vertical struts 48 a, 48 b, 48 c, 48 d positioned at various distancesextending between the sides of lower bar 44 and are secured along theback of bars 40, 42, and 46.

Bars 40, 44, 46 and vertical struts 48 are preferably constructed from arigid tubular metal such as steel, aluminum, or titanium and, mostpreferably, from solid tubular steel. The bars and vertical struts maybe joined or affixed to each via welding, soldering, gluing, or anyother manner of adhesion known in the art. In addition, the bars andstruts may be coated with a plastic or rubber coating to protect themetal members from the elements, and to improve the appearance of theface guard.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the lower cage may be formedof a solid mask having vent holes to enable the user to breathe easily.This mask may be formed of any polymeric material having sufficienttensile strength, impact resistance, and other properties to achieve aface cage that complies with applicable performance requirements and ispreferably formed of nylon or polycarbonate materials.

Other materials and configurations for lower cage 20 will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, and are within the scope of the presentinvention so long as the face guard 18 complies with the applicableNOCSAE standard performance specifications.

As seen in FIG. 2, rigid shell 12 includes apertures 50 for securinglower cage 20 to the rigid shell. Any type of fastener such as clips,screws, or rivets may be utilized for this purpose as is known in theart. Alternatively, the lower cage 20 may be secured to rigid shell 12using other means such as ultrasonic welding or gluing.

Upper shield 22 comprises an inner transparent sheet 52 configured tofit over and cover an unobstructed viewing area formed in face opening16. An outer frame 56 extends around the periphery of sheet 52 and isthicker than sheet 52 to provide additional strength and rigidity to thesheet. The frame is configured to overlap portions of the rigid shell 12and is secured thereto by rivets 58 presented along the upper top andsides of frame 56 configured to extend through corresponding apertures50 in shell 12. It should be understood that other materials orfastening methods for securing upper shield 22 will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and are within the scope of the present invention.Upper shield 22 is also configured to overlap and rest upon lower cage20 along the sides and lower front of the upper shield. The supportprovided by the underlying portions of rigid shell 12 and lower cage 20provide support to the shield to minimize flex upon impact. Rubber pads(not shown) or other cushioning means may be provided between uppershield 22 and rigid shell 12 and/or lower cage 20 respectively in orderto further reduce stresses on the shield upon impact with a ball.

It is anticipated that upper shield 22 could alternatively be positionedsuch that the outer periphery of the shield engages the interior side ofrigid shell 12 and/or lower cage 20. In this manner, the outer peripheryof the shield would be positioned in overlapping relationship behind thesupport supplied by the shell and/or lower cage. It is also anticipatedthat portions of the outer periphery of upper shield 12 may instead besecured to an intermediate support such as metal bars, brackets orfasteners that are likewise secured to the rigid shell 12 and/or lowercage 20 to provide the necessary support to the shield and preventexcessive flex upon impact.

The unobstructed viewing area covered by transparent sheet 52 allowswearers to have an unobstructed view from the protective helmet alongtheir entire horizontal viewing field, even in the peripheral visionareas at the sides of their head. The unobstructed viewing area coveredby sheet 52 extends horizontally a distance beyond the outer edge ofeach eye and extends vertically a distance greater than about 44 mm forbaseball play, and greater than about 60 mm for softball play, so as toprovide a clear line of sight. In a most preferred embodiment, theunobstructed viewing area has a width or horizontal length (measuredalong a straight horizontal axis at the vertical mid-point of theviewing area) ranging from 125 to 250 mm, preferably 170 to 240 mm. Theunobstructed viewing area has a height or vertical length (measuredalong a straight vertical axis at the center front of the viewing area)ranging from 45 to 150 mm, preferably 55 to 125 mm, and most preferably65 to 100 mm.

Sheet 52 is formed of a relatively transparent material, such that thewearer can see through the sheet. Sheet 52 may be clear or tinted.Preferably, sheet 52 and frame 56 are integrally formed as a singlepiece of material wherein the frame has greater thickness. The shield ispreferably made of a strong polymeric material that will not shatter ormeasurably deflect upon impact with a ball. The shield may be made of aclear or tinted polycarbonate material for this purpose. A polycarbonatematerial well-suited to this purpose is available from BASF as Makrolon™PC No. 3103. Upper face shield 18 is preferably configured and made frommaterials so as to comply with the performance requirements set forth inthe applicable NOCSAE specifications.

The upper transparent shield provides a strong protective guard, whilealso providing an unobstructed viewing area for the wearer. The lowerface cage provides strong protection to the wearer, while still allowingventilation and breathability. Thus, the protective sports helmet havinga two-piece face shield of the present invention provides improvedcomfort and viewability to the wearer without sacrificing safety.

Looking to FIG. 3, a batter's helmet having a two-part face guard inaccordance with the first embodiment of the present invention isgenerally denoted as 110. This embodiment is the same as the firstembodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, except thatthe rigid shell 112 is configured as a batter's helmet rather than acatcher's helmet. The face guard 118 is similarly configured differentlyto correspond with the shape of a batter's helmet. Thus, helmet 110includes a rigid shell 112 configured to cover the top, sides and backof the head and defining a face opening in the area of the wearer'sface. The face opening is substantially covered by face guard 118secured (directly or indirectly) to rigid shell 112. Face guard 118comprises a lower cage 120 and an upper transparent shield 122. Lowercage 120 is similar in construction to lower cage 20 described withrespect to the first embodiment except the cage is not elongated and issecured to the interior of the rigid shell. Upper transparent shield 122has a slightly different shape, but the materials and dimensions are thesame as described with respect to the first embodiment.

Looking to FIG. 4, a catcher's helmet having a full transparent faceguard in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention isdenoted as numeral 210. In this embodiment, the rigid shell 212 is thesame as rigid shell 12 described with respect to the first embodimentshown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Face guard 218 is different in that it comprisesa single transparent shield that attaches to rigid shell to cover theentirety of the face opening 16 (See FIG. 2) defined by the rigid shell.The top, side and bottom peripheral edges of shield 218 are secured inoverlapping contact against a portion of rigid shell 212 adjacentopening 16. The support provided by the underlying portions of rigidshell 212 provide support to the shield to minimize flex upon impact. Asdescribed above, the shield could alternatively be positioned such thatall or portions of the peripheral edges of shield 218 extend along theinterior of, and in overlapping relationship with, correspondingportions of rigid shell 212. In another alternative, portion of theperipheral edges may instead be secured to an intermediate support suchas metal bars, brackets or fasteners which are secured to correspondingportions of rigid shell 212. Rubber pads (not shown) or other cushioningmeans may be provided between guard 218 and rigid shell 212 in order tofurther reduce stresses on the shield upon impact with a ball.

Guard 218 comprises an inner transparent sheet 252 configured to fitover and cover the face opening 16. An outer frame 256 extends aroundthe periphery of sheet 252 and is thicker than sheet 252 to provideadditional strength and rigidity to the sheet. Sheet 252 is formed of arelatively transparent material, such that the wearer can see throughthe sheet. Sheet 252 may be clear or tinted. Preferably, sheet 252 andframe 256 are integrally formed as a single piece of material whereinthe frame has greater thickness. The shield is preferably made of astrong polymeric material that will not shatter or measurably deflectupon impact with a ball. The shield may be made of a clear or tintedpolycarbonate material for this purpose. A polycarbonate materialwell-suited to this purpose is available from BASF as Makrolon™ PC No.232103.

Top, side, and bottom portions of frame 256 are configured to overlapcorresponding portions of rigid shell 212. Shield 218 is secured to therigid shell via rivets 258 extending along the top and upper sides ofthe shield into corresponding apertures 50 (See FIG. 2) in the shell212. It should be understood that other materials or fastening methodsfor guard 218 will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and arewithin the scope of the present invention. Guard 218 is otherwiseconfigured and made from materials so as to comply with the applicableNOCSAE specifications.

The opening covered by sheet 252 extends horizontally a distance beyondthe outer edge of each eye and extends vertically a distance greaterthan 44 mm for baseball play, and greater than 60 mm for softball play,so as to provide a clear line of sight. In a most preferred embodiment,the opening has a width or horizontal length (measured along a straighthorizontal axis at the vertical mid-point of the viewing area) rangingfrom 125 to 225 mm, preferably 170 to 215 mm. The opening has a heightor vertical length (measured along a straight vertical axis at thecenter front of the viewing area) ranging from 45 to 250 mm, preferably55 to 185 mm, and most preferably 80 to 155 mm.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all ends and objectives herein above set forth,together with the other advantages which are obvious and which areinherent to the invention.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that allmatters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to beinterpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

While specific embodiments have been shown and discussed, variousmodifications may of course be made, and the invention is not limited tothe specific forms or arrangement of parts and steps described herein,except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.Further, it will be understood that certain features and subcombinationsare of utility and may be employed without reference to other featuresand subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope ofthe claims.

1. A sports helmet comprising: a rigid shell configured to cover aportion of the head of a wearer, wherein said shell defines a faceopening; a face guard secured to said rigid shell configured to cover atleast a portion of said face opening, said face guard comprising ashield having a substantially transparent region configured to fullycover an unobstructed viewing area within said face opening, theunobstructed viewing area having a vertical dimension generally greaterthan about 44 mm, wherein portions of an outer periphery of said shieldare engaged with supports.
 2. A sports helmet in accordance with claim1, wherein said face guard additionally comprises a lower face cagesecured to said rigid shell and configured to cover a lower portion ofsaid face opening below the unobstructed viewing area.
 3. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said supports areselected from the group consisting of: corresponding portions of therigid shell, intermediate supports secured to and extending from therigid shell, corresponding portions of the lower face cage, andcombinations thereof.
 4. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 1,wherein top, side, and bottom portions of an outer periphery of saidshield are positioned in overlapping relationship with correspondingportions of said protective helmet adjacent said face opening.
 5. Asports helmet in accordance with claim 2, wherein said bottom portion ofan outer periphery of said shield is positioned in overlappingrelationship with an upper portion of said lower face cage.
 6. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said helmet additionallycomprises cushioning provided between at least some of said top, side,and bottom portions of said outer periphery of said shield and saidsupports.
 7. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein saidsubstantially transparent region is formed by a substantiallytransparent material that will withstand the impact of a ball.
 8. Asports helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said substantiallytransparent region is formed by a polycarbonate material.
 9. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 7, wherein said substantiallytransparent region is formed by a material that is clear.
 10. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 7, wherein said substantiallytransparent region is formed by a material that tinted.
 11. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 7, wherein said substantiallytransparent region is formed by a polycarbonate material.
 12. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said sports helmetcomprises a catcher's helmet.
 13. A sports helmet in accordance withclaim 2, wherein said sports helmet comprises a batter's helmet.
 14. Asports helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unobstructedviewing area has a vertical dimension greater than about 60 mm.
 15. Asports helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unobstructedviewing area extends horizontally a distance beyond the outer edge ofeach eye of the wearer and extends vertically a distance at least asgreat as 44 mm.
 16. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 1, whereinsaid unobstructed viewing area extends horizontally a distance beyondthe outer edge of each eye of the wearer and extends vertically adistance at least as great as 60 mm.
 17. A sports helmet in accordancewith claim 1 or 2, wherein said unobstructed viewing area has a width orhorizontal length ranging from about 125 to 250 mm and a height orvertical length ranging from about 45 to 150 mm.
 18. A sports helmet inaccordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein said unobstructed viewing area hasa width or horizontal length ranging from about 170 to 240 mm and aheight or vertical length ranging from about 55 to 125 mm.
 19. A sportshelmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unobstructed viewingarea has a width or horizontal length ranging from about 125 to 225 mmand a height or vertical length ranging from about 45 to 250 mm.
 20. Asports helmet in accordance with claim 1, wherein said unobstructedviewing area has a width or horizontal length ranging from about 170 to215 mm and a height or vertical length ranging from about 55 to 185 mm.21. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 2, wherein said lower cageis formed of tubular metal.
 22. A sports helmet in accordance with claim2, wherein said lower cage is formed of a hard polymeric mask havingvent holes.
 23. A catcher's helmet, said catcher's helmet comprising arigid shell configured to cover a portion of the head of a wearer,wherein said shell defines a face opening; and a face guard secured tosaid rigid shell configured to cover at least a portion of said faceopening, said face guard having a substantially transparent regionformed of a material that will withstand the impact of a ball and havinga width or horizontal length ranging from about 125 to 225 mm and aheight or vertical length ranging from about 55 to 185 mm, wherein top,side and bottom portions of an outer periphery of said shield areengaged with corresponding portions of the rigid shell.
 24. A catcher'shelmet in accordance with claim 23, wherein said helmet additionallycomprises cushioning provided between at least some of said top, side,and bottom portions of said outer periphery of said shield and saidrigid shell.
 25. A catcher's helmet in accordance with claim 23, whereinsaid substantially transparent region is formed by a polycarbonatematerial.
 26. A catcher's helmet in accordance with claim 23, whereinsaid substantially transparent region has a width or horizontal lengthranging from about 170 to 215 mm and a height or vertical length rangingfrom about 80 to 155 mm.
 27. A sports helmet, said helmet comprising arigid shell configured to cover the head of a wearer, wherein said shelldefines a face opening; a substantially transparent shield configured tocover an unobstructed viewing area within said face opening, theunobstructed viewing area having a vertical dimension generally greaterthan about 44 mm; a lower face cage secured to said rigid shell andconfigured to cover a lower portion of said face opening below theunobstructed viewing area.
 28. A sports helmet in accordance with claim27, wherein said substantially transparent region is formed by asubstantially transparent material that will withstand the impact of aball.
 29. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 27, wherein saidsubstantially transparent region is formed by a polycarbonate material.30. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 27, wherein said sportshelmet comprises a catcher's helmet.
 31. A sports helmet in accordancewith claim 27, wherein said sports helmet comprises a batter's helmet.32. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 27, wherein saidunobstructed viewing area has a vertical dimension generally greaterthan about 60 mm.
 33. A sports helmet in accordance with claim 27,wherein said unobstructed viewing area has a width or horizontal lengthranging from about 125 to 250 mm and a height or vertical length rangingfrom about 45 to 150 mm.
 34. A sports helmet in accordance with claim27, wherein said unobstructed viewing area has a width or horizontallength ranging from about 170 to 240 mm and a height or vertical lengthranging from about 55 to 125 mm.
 35. A sports helmet in accordance withclaim 27, wherein said lower cage is formed of tubular metal.
 36. Asports helmet in accordance with claim 27, wherein said lower cage isformed of a hard polymeric mask having vent holes.